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Ethanol – Effects, Uses and Health Risks

Ethanol is a short-chain alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, disinfectants, and medications. It acts as a central nervous system depressant in the human body.

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Things worth knowing about "Ethanol"

Ethanol is a short-chain alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, disinfectants, and medications. It acts as a central nervous system depressant in the human body.

What is Ethanol?

Ethanol (chemical formula: C₂H₅OH), also known as ethyl alcohol or simply alcohol, is an organic compound belonging to the alcohol group. It is a colorless, volatile liquid with a characteristic odor. Ethanol is produced naturally through the fermentation of sugars by yeast and is the psychoactive component of alcoholic beverages.

Occurrence and Uses

Ethanol has a wide range of applications:

Alcoholic beverages: Beer, wine, spirits, and other fermented products contain ethanol in varying concentrations.
Medicine and pharmacy: Ethanol is used as a solvent for medications, as a skin and instrument disinfectant, and as an antidote in methanol poisoning.
Disinfection: Ethanol solutions of 60–80% concentration are highly effective antiseptics against bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Industry: Used as a solvent, fuel additive, and starting material for chemical synthesis.
Cosmetics: Found in perfumes, hairsprays, and skincare products as a carrier substance.

Mechanism of Action in the Human Body

After absorption through the gastrointestinal tract, ethanol is rapidly distributed into the bloodstream. It acts as a central nervous system (CNS) depressant by enhancing the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and simultaneously inhibiting the excitatory NMDA glutamate receptor, thereby reducing overall neuronal activity.

Metabolism of Ethanol

Ethanol is metabolized primarily in the liver by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), producing acetaldehyde, a toxic intermediate. Acetaldehyde is then further broken down by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) into acetate and ultimately into carbon dioxide and water. The average elimination rate is approximately 0.1–0.15 per mille per hour.

Effects on the Body

Short-Term Effects

Euphoria and disinhibition at low concentrations
Impaired coordination, reaction time, and judgment
Slurred speech and balance disturbances
Vasodilation, producing a sensation of warmth
At high doses: loss of consciousness, respiratory depression, and life-threatening alcohol poisoning

Long-Term Effects of Regular Consumption

Liver damage: Fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis
Neurological damage: Polyneuropathy, Wernicke encephalopathy (due to thiamine deficiency)
Cardiovascular effects: Cardiomyopathy and cardiac arrhythmias
Cancer risk: Increased risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast
Dependence: Alcohol use disorder with physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms
Damage to the immune system, pancreas, and other organs

Ethanol as a Disinfectant

In medicine, ethanol is one of the most widely used disinfectants. Solutions with an ethanol content of 70–80% denature the proteins of microorganisms and disrupt their cell membranes, effectively killing bacteria, viruses (including SARS-CoV-2), and fungi. Pure (100%) ethanol is less effective as a disinfectant because water is needed for the denaturation process.

Ethanol During Pregnancy

Ethanol is strictly contraindicated during pregnancy. Alcohol crosses the placenta and can cause severe developmental disorders in the unborn child, collectively referred to as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). There is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Medical Use as an Antidote

In cases of methanol or ethylene glycol poisoning, ethanol is used as an antidote. Because ethanol has a higher affinity for alcohol dehydrogenase, it competes with the toxic alcohol for the metabolizing enzyme, thereby preventing the formation of toxic metabolites such as formaldehyde.

References

World Health Organization (WHO): Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. WHO, Geneva, 2018. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565639
Rehm J et al.: Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders. The Lancet, 2009; 373(9682): 2223–2233.
Kranzler HR, Soyka M: Diagnosis and pharmacotherapy of alcohol use disorder: A review. JAMA, 2018; 320(8): 815–824.

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